The Maetschappy der Vlaemsche Bibliophilen, in its later years Maatschappij der Vlaamsche Bibliophilen ("Society of Flemish Bibliophiles") was a

text publication society A text publication society is a learned society which publishes (either as its sole function, or as a principal function) scholarly editions of old works of historical or literary interest, or archival documents. In addition to full texts, a text p ...

based in

Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

. The society was founded by

Philip Blommaert Philip, Esquire Blommaert (Ghent, 24 August 1809 – 14 August 1871) was a Flemish writer. He earned his living as a private scholar and was a friend and comrade of Hendrik Conscience with whom he promoted the use of Dutch in Belgium. In 1834 he ...

and

Constant-Philippe Serrure Constant-Philippe Serrure (1805–1872) was a prolific Belgian historian and collector who taught at Ghent University. He was a founding member and active contributor of the Maetschappy der Vlaemsche Bibliophilen, which published editions of medie ...

in 1839 to produce editions of medieval Flemish literature. It was active until 1909. By current scholarly standards, the quality of the editions shows little

palaeographical Palaeography ( UK) or paleography ( US; ultimately from grc-gre, , ''palaiós'', "old", and , ''gráphein'', "to write") is the study of historic writing systems and the deciphering and dating of historical manuscripts, including the analysi ...

and

codicological Codicology (; from French ''codicologie;'' from Latin , genitive , "notebook, book" and Greek , ''-logia'') is the study of codices or manuscript books. It is often referred to as "the archaeology of the book," a term coined by François Masai. I ...

expertise. Membership was initially limited to 28,Statutes of the society
On Google Books
/ref> but was later expanded to 40. Membership initially cost a down payment of 20 Belgian francs followed by an ongoing subscription of 10 francs every six months. A restricted number of copies were printed on fine paper for members, and for deposit with

Ghent University Ghent University ( nl, Universiteit Gent, abbreviated as UGent) is a public research university located in Ghent, Belgium. Established before the state of Belgium itself, the university was founded by the Dutch King William I in 1817, when the ...

library, and the

Royal Library of Belgium The Royal Library of Belgium (french: Bibliothèque royale de Belgique, nl, Koninklijke Bibliotheek van België, abbreviated ''KBR'' and sometimes nicknamed in French or in Dutch) is the national library of Belgium. The library has a history t ...

, but the society also produced longer runs on cheaper paper in order to encourage a wider knowledge and love of Flemish literary classics of the past. A small number of their publications were available only to members in luxury editions.

Publications

;First series *1. ''Het Beclach van Jhr. Jan Van Hembyze'' *2. ''Dagverhael van den oproer te Antwerpen in 1659'' (1839)
On Google Books
*3. ''Kronyk van Vlaenderen van 580 tot 1467'', 2 volumes (1839)
Both volumes in one
on

Google Books Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google Inc. that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical c ...

. *4. ''Leven van Sinte Amand, patroon der Nederlanden, dichtwerk der XIVe eeuw'', in 2 volumes
Vol. 2 on Google Books
;Second series *1. ''Het Beleg van Gent ten jare 985, naer een Hs. van Gilles De Voocht (XVIe eeuw)'' *2. ''Dit syn de coren van de stad Antwerpen'' (1852)
On Google Books
*3. ''Der Vrouwen Heimelykheid, dichtwerk der XIVe eeuw'' *4. ''Verhael der Reformatie van de Abdy van Maegdendale, voorheen een vrouwenklooster binnen de stad Audenaerde. 1468'' *5. ''Gewoonten, vryheden en privilegien der stad Sint-Truyen (XIVe eeuw)''
On Google Books
*6. ''Het spel van de V vroede ende van de V dwaeze maegden. Naer een Handschrift van het begin der XVIe eeuw''
On Google Books
*7. ''Politieke Balladen, Refereinen, Liederen en Spotgedichten der XVIe eeuw'' *8. ''De Boec van Catone, een dietsch leerdicht, uit het latyn. Naer een handschrift van het einde der XIIIe eeuw'' *9. ''Oudvlaemsche Liederen en andere Gedichten der XIVe en XVe eeuwen'' *10. ''Journal ofte dagregister van onze reyze naer de keyzerlyke stadt van Weenen, ten jare 1716''
On Google Books
*11. ''Verslag van 't Magistraet van Gent, nopens de godsdienstige beroerten aldaer, loopende van den 30 Juny 1566 tot den 30 April 1567; gevolgd door talryke bewysstukken'' *12. ''Het Leven van Philippus den Stauten, hertoch van Borgonien, ende van Margarita Van Male, gravinne van Vlaenderen'' *13. ''Het Leven van Joannes den Onbevreesden, hertoch van Borgonien graef van Vlaenderen'' *14. ''De Grimbergsche Oorlog, ridderdicht uit de XIVe eeuw'', 2 volumes
Vol. 1
an
vol. 2
on Google Books. *15. ''Memorieboek der Stad Ghent van't j. 1301 tot 1793'', 3 volumes
Vol. 1vol. 2vol. 3
on Google Books ;Third series *1.

Jan van Ruusbroec John van Ruysbroeck, original Flemish name Jan van Ruusbroec () (1293 or 1294 – 2 December 1381) was an Augustinian canon and one of the most important of the Flemish mystics. Some of his main literary works include ''The Kingdom of the Divi ...

, ''Dat Boec van den gheesteleken Tabernacule'', 2 volumes (1858)
Both volumes on Google Books
*2. ''Het Boec van al't gene datter geschiedt is binnen Brugghe sichtent jaer 1477, 14 Februarii tot 1491'' *3. ''Lamentatie van Zegher Van Male, behelsende wat datter aenmerckensweerdig geschiet is ten tyde van de Geuserie ende de Beeltstormerie binnen ende omtrent de stadt van Brugghe''
On Google Books
*4. Jan van Ruusbroec, ''Dat boec van den Twaelf Dogheden. Die Spieghel der Exigher Salicheit. Van den Kerstenen Ghelove'' (1860)
On Google Books
*5. ''Dagboek van Jan De Pottre, 1549–1602. Naer het oorspronkelijk handschrift in de koninklyke bibliotheek te Brussel berustende'' *6. ''De Weerbare mannen van het land van Waes in 1480, 1552 en 1558'' (1861)
On Google Books
*7. Jan van Ruusbroec, ''Dat boec van .vii. trappen inden graet der Gheesterliker minnen. Dat boec van seven sloten. Dat boec vanden rike der ghelieven. Dat boec vanden vier becoringhen'' (1861)
On Google Books
*8. ''Tafereelen uit het leven van Jesus: Een handschrift van de XVe eeuw'' (1863)
On Google Books
*9. Jan van Ruusbroec, ''Dat boec vanden twaelf beghinen'' (1863)
On Google Books
*10. Augustijn van Hermelghem, ''Nederlandsche Historie'', 2 volumes (1864–1867)
Both volumes in one
on Google Books. *11. ''Jaerboeken van het souvereine gilde der kolveniers, busschieters en kanonniers gezegd hoofdgilde van Sint Antone, te Gent'', vol. 1 (1867)
On Google Books
*12. Jan van Ruusbroec, ''Die chierheit der gheesteleker brulocht. Dat hantvingherlijn oft vanden blickenden steene. Dat boec der hoechster waerheit'' *13. Claudius de Clerck, ''Gedichten van Claude De Clerck (1618-1640)'' (1869)
On Google Books
*14. ''Het leven van Pater Petrus-Thomas van Hamme, missionaris in Mexico en China, 1651-1727'' (1871)
On Google Books
*15. Filips Wielant, ''Practijcke criminele van Philips Wielant, naar het eenig bekende handschrift'' ;Fourth series *1.

Marcus van Vaernewijck Marcus van Vaernewijck (1518–1569) was a historian in the Habsburg Netherlands. Two of his works, ''Van die beroerlicke tijden in die Nederlanden en voornamelick in Ghendt 1566-1568'' and ''De historie van Belgis'', are listed in the Canon of Du ...

, ''Van die beroerlicke tijden in die Nederlanden en voornamelijk in Ghendt, 1566-1568''
Vol. 1
(1873)
vol. 2
(1873
vol. 3
(1874)
vol. 4
(1876), vol. 5 (1881) *2.

Hadewijch Hadewijch, sometimes referred to as Hadewych or Hadewig (of Brabant or of Antwerp) was a 13th-century poet and mystic, probably living in the Duchy of Brabant. Most of her extant writings are in a Brabantian form of Middle Dutch. Her writings inc ...

, ''Werken van Zuster Hadewijch. I. Gedichten'' (1875) *3.

Joos Lambrecht Joos Lambrecht (1491, Ghent – 1556/7, Wesel) was a Walloon printer, typographer, lexicographer and linguist. He was the son of Jan Lambrecht and came from a family of engravers of seals and marks used to authenticate cloth made in Ghent. In 153 ...

, ''Néderlandsche spellijnghe: uutghesteld by vrághe ende andwoorde'' (1882) *4.

Anna Bijns Anna Bijns or Anna Byns (1493 in Antwerp – 1575 in Antwerp) was a Flemish poet who wrote in the Dutch language. She was an educator and the administrator of a primary school in Antwerp until the age of 80. Even while as a woman she was denied ...

, ''Nieuwe refereinen'' (1886) *5. ''De voorgeboden der stad Gent in de XIVe eeuw, 1337–1382'' (1885) *7. ''Het Klooster ten Walle en de abdij van den Groenen Briel: stukken en oorkonden'' (1888) *8. ''Oude Nederlandsche liederen : melodieën uit de Souterliedekens'' (1889) *9. ''Dit es tbesouch van dien dat Pieter Boe ende Leuz sijn broeder ontcracht waren den here vor Sinte Verrilden Kerke te Ghent'' (1890) *10. ''Hier beghinnen de Sermonen oft wtlegghingen op alle de Euangelien vander Vasten, metter Passien, alsomen die inder kercken houdt zeer costelijck wtgheleyt'' (1893) *11. ''Werken van Zuster Hadewijch. II. Proza'' (1895) *12. ''Dagboek van Gent van 1447 tot 1470 met een vervolg van 1477 tot 1515'', 2 volumes (1901–1904) *13. ''Het godshuis van Sint-Jan en Sint-Pauwel te Gent, bijgenaamd de Leugemeete: Oorkonden'' (1902) *14. ''Werken van Zuster Hadewijch. III.'' (1905) *15. ''Het godshuis van Sint Jan en Sint Pauwel te Gent, bijgenaamd de Leugemeete: de kapel en haar muurschilderingen van +/- 1346'' (1909) ;Bibliophile editions published for members only * ''Dystorie van Saladine'' (1848)
On Google Books
* ''Die Historie vander goeder vrouwen Griseldis, die een spieghel is gheweest van patienten'' * ''Declaratie van der Triumphe bewezen den hooghe gheboren prince van Spaengien, Philips, des keizers Chaerles van Oostenrijc zone, binnen der stad van Ghend, in Vlaender, den xiij Julii, anno M.D.xlix.'' * ''Beschryvinghe van het ghene dat vertoocht wierdt ter incomste van d'excellentie des princen van Praegien binnen der stede van Ghendt, den XXIX Decembris 1577'' * ''Eene schoone historie van Mariken van Nimweghen, een seer wonderlijcke ende waerachtige geschiedenisse, hoe sy meer dan seven jaren met den duyvel woonde ende verkeerde'' * ''Van Homulus, een schoene comedie, daer in begrepen wordt hoe in de tyt des doots der mensche alle geschapen dinghen verlaten dan alleene die duecht, die blyft by hem, vermeerdert ende ghebetert ende is zeer schoon ende genuechlijk om lesen''
On Google Books
* ''Baghynken van Parys, oock is hier by ghedaen die wyse leeringe die Catho zynen sone leerde''
On Google Books
*

Lambertus Goetman Lambertus is a Latinized version of the Germanic masculine given name Lambert. In the Low Countries and South Africa it has been in used as a birth name. Most people used short forms in daily life, like ''Bert'', '' Bertus'', ''Lambert'', ''Lamme' ...

, ''De Spiegel der Jongers'' (1860)
On Google Books
* ''Dat dyalogus of twistsprake tusschen den wisen coninck Salomon ende Marcophus'' (1861). * ''Keuken-boek, uitgegeven naar een handschrift der XVe eeuw'' (1872)
On Google Books
* ''Refereynen ... Vertooght binnen Ghendt by de xix. cameren van Rhetorijcken aldaer comparerende den xx. in April M.D. neghen ende dertigh'' (1877)
On Google Books

Publications

References

Further reading